Could Turkey be accepted back into the F-35 program?

There is a possibility that Turkey will be accepted back to the F-35 program, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.

However, statements by senior Turkish officials and the general negative sentiment toward the Middle Eastern country among the other F-35 partners make any re-acceptance of Turkey to the stealth fighter jet program difficult.

According to Ambassador Tom Barrack, the top American diplomat in Turkey, there is an ongoing discussion with the Turkish government with regard to Ankara’s wish to rejoin the F-35 Lightning II program.

“The United States is in ongoing discussions with Türkiye regarding their desire to rejoin the F-35 program and their possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system,” Barrack said in a post on X last week.

A potential re-acceptance of Turkey into the F-35 program will have to first overcome one significant legal hurdle: Ankara would have to no longer operate or possess the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense system.

Following Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian air defense system in 2019, Congress passed The Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) legislation. The law ousted Turkey from the F-35 program and made it a necessary condition for the Turkish military to reject the S-400 if it ever wished to rejoin the stealth fighter jet program. The legislation’s title itself shows the low level of U.S.-Turkish relations over the past decade.

“The positive relationship between President Trump and President Erdogan has created a new atmosphere of cooperation, which has led to the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade,” Barrack added.

“Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the United States and Türkiye,” the U.S. Ambassador in Turkey added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany, 2020. (Russian Presidential Executive Office)

Turkish officials do not share the optimism of the U.S. ambassador. Indeed, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that “there have been no new developments regarding the S-400 air defence systems, which have been put on the agenda in recent days.”

“Addressing the process regarding the F-35 project within the spirit of alliance, through mutual dialogue and constructive consultation, will contribute positively to bilateral relations,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry added.

Washington requires a clear and final solution on the S-400 issue before any moves to allow Ankara to rejoin the F-35 can be made. On its part, the Turkish government has been pushing the solution of “neutralization,” essentially deactivating the Russian air defense system. However, such a solution would not work for the U.S. as the Turkish military would retain the ability to reactivate the S-400 in the future should U.S.-Turkish relations once more fall apart.

Indeed, the concern is that the S-400 could be used to uncover the true radar cross section (RCS) of the F-35 Lightning II, thus jeopardizing its stealth capabilities. There is also the concern that this would provide the Russian defense industry with key technology that could help it develop countermeasures or advance homegrown stealth-capable aircraft, such as the Su-57 and Su-75.

Turkey joined the F-35 program in 2002, planning to order 100 of the 5th generation jets. Turkish pilots and maintainers were in the U.S. to receive training on the stealth fighter jet when Turkey was kicked out of the program.

Feature Image: U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing taxi the flight line after arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, March 8, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Samantha Rodriguez)

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